The White House - 1964 - Broadway Articles Page 18

Broadway fans had plenty of reasons to celebrate this year, with dozens of shows having opened since January, hundreds of actors having made their debuts, and many more having returned to the stage for critically acclaimed performances. Not all news was good though, as we also suffered a loss of an incredible amount of talent. Below, BroadwayWorld sends a fond farewell to those who passed away in 2014.

Ian Reddington (Eastenders, Coronation Street) and Christopher Villiers (Emmerdale) will join Wendi Peters, best known for her role as Cilla Battersby in Coronation Street, in the ensemble cast of Oh What A Lovely War on its national tour in 2015.

Reigning violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman will perform his first New York solo recital since 2007 at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall tonight, December 3, 2014, at 7:30 PM, presented by IMG Artists. Pianist Rohan De Silva, Perlman's longtime recital partner, joins the violinist for a program to include Vivaldi's Sonata in A Major for Violin and Continuo, Op. 2 RV 31; Schumann's Fantasiestucke, Op. 73; Beethoven's Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30; and Ravel's Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2 in G Major, as well as additional works to be announced from the stage.

Casting is now complete for the Off-Broadway premiere of a new version of Joe Pintauro's classic drama SNOW ORCHID at the Lion Theatre on Theatre Row (410 W. 42nd St.). Stephen Plunkett (War Horse), David McElwee (The Wayside Motor Inn) and Timothy Hassler (Fiddler on the Roof at Goodspeed) will join previously announced stars Tony Award nominee Robert Cuccioli and Angelina Fiordellisi.

Scroll down for the highlights from the President's remarks on entertainment icons Meryl Streep, Stevie Wonder, Alvin Ailey and Marlo Thomas!

President Barack Obama awarded eighteen recipients with the 2014 Presidential Medal of Freedom today, November 24, at the White House in Washington, D.C. Legendary composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim, who was set to be the nineteenth honoree, could not attend the event and will receive the award next year instead.

?President Barack Obama previously named nineteen recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation's highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. The awards will be presented at the White House today, November 24th.

Kaufman Music Center's Ecstatic Music Festival (EMF) returns for a fifth season of one-night-only performances bringing together artists from across the sonic spectrum. This winter, nearly 100 composers and performers will premiere collaborative works that give audiences an unparalleled opportunity to experience music that is fresh, unexpected and utterly unique.

Grammy winner Jack Jones will perform his timeless hits at the Suncoast Showroom this weekend, November 22 and 23.

The White Theatre inside the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park, Kansas presents Fiddler on the Roof through November 23. Steven Eubank directs the classic musical, with musical direction by Daniel Doss. This is the second production Eubank has directed for the theater. Doss has been involved in over 50 musicals in the Kansas City area.

This February, Tony Award nominee Robert Cuccioli and Angelina Fiordellisi will star in a new version of Joe Pintauro's classic drama SNOW ORCHID at Off-Broadway's Lion Theatre on Theatre Row (410 W. 42nd St.).

The White House announced that President Obama selected Mr. Alvin Ailey to be a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom this year. This honor is being given posthumously to acknowledge Mr. Ailey's contributions and commitment to Civil Rights and dance in America.

Today, President Barack Obama named nineteen recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation's highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. The awards will be presented at the White House on November 24th.

Reigning violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman will perform his first New York solo recital since 2007 at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall on Wednesday, December 3, 2014, at 7:30 PM, presented by IMG Artists. Pianist Rohan De Silva, Perlman's longtime recital partner, joins the violinist for a program to include Vivaldi's Sonata in A Major for Violin and Continuo, Op. 2 RV 31; Schumann's Fantasiestucke, Op. 73; Beethoven's Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30; and Ravel's Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2 in G Major, as well as additional works to be announced from the stage.

From Broadway debuts to stage veterans, this season is swarming with big screen stars. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you the backstory on this year's film-to-stage transplants. Scroll down to learn more, and be sure to let us who you're most excited to see on the Great White Way, plus which actors you'd like to make the leap!

Atlanta, Georgia

Any visit by celebrated chanteuse Barb Jungr to a New York cabaret stage or theatre is a cause for jubilation. Slightly less than a year since she rocked 59E59 with her week long run of Dancing In the Dark, Jungr was back on that stage with a new show based on her recently released, highly-acclaimed CD, Hard Rain: The Songs of Bob Dylan & Leonard Cohen. But where Dancing In the Dark was Jungr's introspective take on some classic pop songs (including some Dylan and Cohen), her Hard Rain set is truly dark and Jungr doesn't apologize for that. In fact, often during this collection of songs written by two of pop music's foremost dark poets of the soul (with stirring arrangements by Jungr and her CD Producer Simon Wallace), Jungr readily admits the set is depressing because her intent was to focus on Dylan and Cohen songs that were at once powerful, personal, political, philosophical, and often prophetic.

The Film Society of Lincoln Center will present Let There Be Light: The Films of John Huston, December 19 - January 11,

While reviewing What Makes a Man (WMAM), now playing at the Berkley Street Theatre, it's tempting to comment on what's not there, what could and should be there, rather than what is there. What is on display is a marvelous musical stage portrait of Charles Aznavour, the world renowned French singer/songwriter, actor and political activist/diplomat. A man of the world, he is capable of singing in five languages. One of the last surviving 'showmen,' he still is capable of filling the world's most prestigious concert halls. For example, a year ago he performed for the first time in 25 years at London's Royal Albert Hall. Demand was so great, a second concert was booked there for this past June.

Grammy winner Jack Jones will perform his timeless hits at the Suncoast Showroom on November 22 and 23.

Reigning violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman will perform his first New York solo recital since 2007 at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall on Wednesday, December 3, 2014, at 7:30 PM, presented by IMG Artists. Pianist Rohan De Silva, Perlman's longtime recital partner, joins the violinist for a program to include Vivaldi's Sonata in A Major for Violin and Continuo, Op. 2 RV 31; Schumann's Fantasiestucke, Op. 73; Beethoven's Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 18; and Ravel's Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2 in G Major, as well as additional works to be announced from the stage.

The biggest day of the year for Broadway fans will include unique showbiz treasures, the opportunity to meet your favorite cast members and the chance to bid on exclusive backstage experiences as Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS presents the 28th Annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction (#bwayflea).

On Sunday September 7, at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal, due to an advance sell-out crowd for the 7 pm show, an additional matinee show was performed for the Fourth Anniversary of Kritzerland. Needless to say, both matinee and evening performances were sold out, making the monthly Kritzerland tributes the most popular shows at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal. The anniversary party was entitled They're Playing Our Song: The Songs That Got Away III and along with special guests Kerry O'Malley and Bruce Vilanch, the big cast also included Robert Yacko, Evan Harris, Madison Claire Parks, Sami Staitman, Jenna Lea Rosen, and also little Hadley Miller, and in chorus numbers of What If?: Kimberly Hessler, Travis Leland, Bruce Merkle, and Adrienne Visnic, all under the baton of super musical director John Boswell. This marked the 49th Kritzerland show since its inception at the Gardenia in 2010, and its host Bruce Kimmel, founder of Kritzerland Records, was in rare form, doling out trivia-worthy anecdotes about every number presented, as well as singing a song himself, due to the absence of Guy Haines.

Bruce Morton, an award-winning political correspondent for CBS News who also covered the Vietnam War and the space program, died today at his home in Washington, D.C., after a battle with cancer. He was 83.

Last night (Wednesday, Aug. 20), the award-winning, multi-platinum American singer, songwriter and actor BILLY RAY CYRUS dropped by the House of Blues to perform at “Rock For Ruben,” a benefit concert for the renowned industry guitar tech Ruben Velasco. CYRUS joined friends Rick Springfield and John 5 (Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson) to lend his support for Ruben as he undergoes treatment for with Stage IV cancer.